


I'm not fragile but comfort me regardless

by itsforme



Category: Descendants (2015)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, i love them both and they deserve better together, they're so hard but soft for each other, this is harry and uma before and after the movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 11:21:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11622498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsforme/pseuds/itsforme
Summary: 3 times Harry and Uma are soft with each other, just because they could be and because they needed it.





	I'm not fragile but comfort me regardless

**Author's Note:**

> My favorite villians who deserve better than Disney gave them.  
> In my verse everyone is 17-18 because it just makes more sense

1\. “I wish I could help you" I whisper.  
You are," he murmurs against my knee. "just don't leave me, okay? Everyone leaves me.”   
― Simone Elkeles, Rules of Attraction

The first time it happens, they’re twelve and everything is fine at first. They’re sitting by the docks, hidden away from the general populace in a space they’ve claimed as their own, looking across the water at Auradon, making up stories of what they imagine the prissy perfect inhabitants of that world get up to, talking about what they imagine life outside the isle to be like and how they plan to one day free everyone trapped in this dreadful place and take over Auradon when Harry suddenly feels as though everything is too close, too tight. He vaguely hears Uma still speaking as he zones out and tries to focus back in on her voice, on the blue of her hair, anything but the sudden sharp thoughts that invade his head, taunts of a permanent imprisonment on the isle shortening his breath, making his heart race and his body tremble. It’s not until he feels a hand rest where his are now gripping his thighs that he is able to slowly focus back in on his surroundings, the cool rings on Uma’s fingers serving as a small grounder for him to focus on. She says nothing as she gently takes his left hand from his thigh and grips it in her right hand, waiting as he works through his mental processes back to his perpetual state of mania, not releasing the young boy’s hand until she sees his usual grin making its way back onto his lips, albeit a bit shaky. They sit on the docks a while longer, neither of them speaking because it’s really just better if they don’t evaluate what just happened. 

It’s not until Uma stands to leave, turquoise hair illuminated by the setting sun and brown eyes burning, that she speaks, voice sharper than Harry’s ever heard it, “We’re going to leave this hell one day, all of us, and we’re going to take Auradon, one way or another,” she proclaims, promise in her words.

And as she ruffles Harry’s hair before leaving, he can’t help but think that it’s a promise more for the two of them than anyone else.

2.) “The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”   
― Maya Angelou, All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes

Uma lives in a constant state of strength. The acquisition of it, the showcasing of it, and, much more importantly, the maintenance of it; there is not a single act that Uma performs that does not serve towards one of the three aforementioned states of strength. When she acquires her crew and then her ship, the need for strength only grows until it becomes an almost physical weight on her shoulders and a constant thought running through her mind, only becoming worse when the VKs betray evil and suddenly there are hordes of people looking to Uma to be better than Mal ever was and lead them all off the isle. It’s not like she minds really, she made a promise years ago to do just that. 

During the day, Uma plays up to this strength, turquoise braids whipping side to side as she moves between her mother’s restaurant, the ship, and the rest of the isle shouting orders and instilling fear where needed, bite in her words and a smirk on her lips as she does so. Harry is right by her side as she does it all, wicked smile and wild eyes adding to Uma’s repertoire of weapons she uses to get her way, the constant presence beside her, menacing and unpredictable to others but almost therapeutic to the blue haired girl as she maneuvers then asserts her place at the top.

So, some nights, when Uma feels the weight of her own strength pushing at her shoulders, threatening to drown her, she finds herself knocking at Harry’s door, body exhausted but mind still running in all directions with thoughts that she never lets out during the day, thoughts that cause her to look smaller and younger than she already is.   
Harry answers the door and, with no words between them, pulls the smaller girl with him back to his bed, laying down with her so her head is turned to his chest and his arms are encompassing her.

“Something for a talk?” Harry asks almost an hour later, voice uncharacteristically soft because while he knows Uma’s not asleep, he doesn’t want to startle her in anyway because they both know she needs this to feel herself again. He feels Uma shake her head almost imperceptibly so squeezes her to let her know he understands before closing his eyes to rest again. 

They won’t talk about it in the morning, but they’ll be fine.

3.) “Sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to be near them.”   
― Veronica Roth, Divergent

Uma returns from Auradon wet, angry, and disappointed tinged with a bit of desperate and a whole other myriad of emotions swirling in her head. Her mind is flooded with what ifs and maybes and as much loathing as she has ever felt in seventeen years of living, both towards Auradon and herself. 

Uma manages to sneak back onto her ship without incident feeling, for the life of her, like a stray cat as she changes out of her dress, hurling the damp fabric into the back of her closet and pulling on a simple pair of black tights and a ratty old shirt she’s certain belongs to Harry and climbing into her bed, head already screaming with thoughts that she’s certain are going to keep her up all night and, if not, are definitely going to haunt her dreams. She sighs as she slides under her covers, body curling into a fetal position as she tries to make herself as small as possible and, as she closes her eyes, she thinks that wanting to disappear would be too much like quitting but to be left alone for as long as possible would be euphoric right then.

The next day comes and goes and Uma is nowhere to be seen but none of the crew mentions it because Harry makes sure they don’t, eyes threatening them all to speak otherwise as he sends them on errands throughout the isle so they’re far from the ship for the better part of the day.

Harry himself moves between the restaurant and the ship, keeping an eye on the patrons and fulfilling Uma’s duties there in case Ursula checks on anything then returning to the ship and leaving food and water outside Uma’s door in case she needs it. It looks barely touched whenever he returns.

This continues for the entire week until on the seventh night, Harry is awoken from his position outside Uma’s quarters by the sound of a door opening and shutting and then a presence beside him. He looks up to see Uma looking down at him and feels his heart drop when he sees how withdrawn she looks, hair tied up and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders usual vibrant blue clothes forgone for a plain black long-sleeved shirt and black tights. Harry starts to speak but can’t get any words out before Uma is making her way toward the back of the ship to leave and Harry is scrambling up to follow her. She doesn’t try to stop him.

Uma makes her way down to the docks and Harry knows where she’s going before she even starts to make her way down between the rocks and into the small cave just to the side of the docks and out of eyesight. He follows her down, keeping his eyes on her to make sure she isn’t hurt. It feels strange to look after Uma with such care but this week has been the longest Harry’s gone without seeing her since they met and it’s the longest he’s seen her trapped in herself and he’s never cared for anything or anyone as he’s come to care for his captain.

When Harry enters the cave, he’s greeted by Uma sitting on the floor blanket wrapped around her body and she looks as small as Harry has ever seen her. He goes to sit by her and for a while they say nothing, simply staring across the water at Auradon and Harry feels an anger towards them that he’s never felt before.

“You remember the first time I promised that I’d make sure we left this god forsaken hell and take Auradon for all it’s worth?” Uma asks and Harry startles then almost chuckles because of course he remembers, that was the same day he pledged himself to Uma and all she is. Instead, he nods in the affirmative and Uma must see this because she continues, “What if… what if I’m not strong enough to get it done?” And Harry could scream, could destroy everything with the rage he feels within himself at how small Uma sounds, how doubtful of her own genius she is.

He takes a minute to calm himself before he speaks because the last thing Uma needs is to feel how upset Harry is, “That’s just not possible now is it? I’ve known you for years now and so what if this plan didn’t work, we’ll come up with more just like we always do.”

And that must have been the wrong thing to say because Uma is suddenly up and pacing the length of the cave, hands moving erratically as she tries to collect her thoughts. “That’s not it!” she yells, “when we made those other plans we were never as close to victory as I was, as we were!” She suddenly stops, slumping down against the wall of the cave, head between her knees and body shaking. Harry hurries over to her and crouches down beside her, moving the braids that have fallen out of her ponytail back in place before he sits back, not touching Uma but a constant presence beside her regardless.

A few minutes go by before Uma’s body stops shaking and Harry tries again, “I know you’re hurt and angry among other things,” he begins, voice quiet, “and there are parts of that hurt and anger that I could never begin to understand but we’ve gotten this far together; you, me, and the crew. And not to sound all preachy, but I’ll be damned if we stop now. It’s a setback, I know, we all know but we also know more now than we did. We’ve gotten closer than ever before thanks to you. We’ll get there.”

It’s a while before Uma shows any sign that she’s heard him, getting up and letting her hair down, the turquoise braids spreading around her shoulders and down her back, eyes strong and back straight. She makes her way to the cave’s entrance and Harry follows after her, both of them staring across at Auradon and when Uma speaks it’s with enough conviction for twenty men, “The next time we plan to take Auradon, we’re going to get it done one way or another.” 

When Uma turns to look at her first mate, smirk spread across her lips and ruffles his hair, pressing a brief kiss to his temple as her way of thanks, Harry can’t help the answering smile he sends her way as she exits the cave, following right after her, a captain and her right hand never gone and never weak but back and stronger.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys liked it.  
> Sorry if anyone feels like they're ooc but this is how I see them when they're not threatening to throw kings overboard


End file.
